


Scythe - Mission 1

by EliteKatQueen



Series: Scythe - Missions List [1]
Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Marble Hornets
Genre: Action/Adventure, But in all seriousness, Drama, F/M, His last name is Hodek as confirmed by his creator, Jeff's last name isn't actually Woods, LJ is just along for the ride but he's equally insane and morbid, More tags to be added, Violence, ben is a techno ghost addicted to his Nintendo Switch, bet you can't guess who it is ;), but she is powered by the consciousness of a dead girl, don't attempt to recreate or reenact anything in this story, everyone is hiding demons from each other, my OC is a robot, my OC is being stalked by a man in a black suit, plot progression will change that, they don't like each other at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:20:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28925691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliteKatQueen/pseuds/EliteKatQueen
Summary: Scythe, or Selena Wells as she was called, spent the first month of her life in a new body she never asked to be put in, but is the body she found herself stuck in limbo with.Now, she's on the hunt for revenge against the scientist who created her robotic body, Simon Keyes. But with an ever increasingly dangerous world forming beyond the forest she hides herself in, she will need all the help she can get.The best help she can get are two dangerous and psychotic killers. A white skinned boy with a bloody smile known by many as Jeff the Killer, and a monochromatic and mischievous clown named Laughing Jack.Everyone has their own agendas, but can they work together to find a rogue scientist and get some closure for an emotionally damaged sentient robot?
Series: Scythe - Missions List [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121519
Kudos: 2





	Scythe - Mission 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't used my account in a while, so I guess while I'm on a trend for Creepypasta, I might as well introduce my Creepypasta OC, her origins, and the aftermath of her story. If you want a better look at what she looks like, you can find my Deviantart link on my profile. Click it and you shouldn't have too much trouble finding her reference. 
> 
> Stay tuned for more chapters to come!

We shouldn’t feel ashamed of ourselves for simply having a dream.

Having end goals and ambitions is a part of daily human life. 

Whether you’re a firefighter, a chef, or even a rockstar…we persevere through the hardships and bask in the rewards as a result of never giving up and pushing forward.

But out of all of the obstacles a person may bump into…

Feeling approval is probably the hardest to come by. 

Especially when it comes to parents. Some will give their approval, but others will question why you went along with something that made you happy, but not them. They only express shame towards you and that…

That is the worst feeling in the whole world. 

-

In the late afternoon hours, an untamed and lively forest was greeted with a visitor. 

On a short hill, within a small glade of the forest, a teenage girl sat in the wavy grass and gazed at her surroundings with bright, gleeful brown eyes. 

Selena always took a shortcut after she got out of school to visit the wilderness. The tranquilly of the forest ambience, combined with the sounds of birds tweeting and cicadas droning always placed the girl in a relaxed mood and melted her stress away.

She gently stroked a blade of grass, watching as a ladybug flew out and landed on her palm. She smiled as the red insect crawled to the tip of her index finger and flew away.

She let out a sigh of content, leaning back against her backpack. Just as she was about to close her eyes, a pinging ringtone started to sound off from inside her bag. 

Selena huffed out a sigh, digging into her backpack and pulling out her phone.

With a swipe of her finger across its screen, she placed the phone on her ear. 

“What?”, Selena questioned with a irritated tone staining her voice. 

“Selena, where are you? You should have been home half a hour ago”, a male voice spoke from the other line. 

“Dad, I’m going to be 20 years old a month from now. I’ll go wherever I please and come home when I feel like it. God, we have this conversation almost everyday after I get out of school!”, Selena said, exasperated.

“Selena, you may be turning into an adult-“

“I’m already an adult!”, the teen interrupted. 

“But as long as you’re still under my roof, you’ll follow the rules we have. Now come straight home before it gets dark”, said the voice with an authoritative attitude. 

“God, fine! Now kindly fuck off!”, Selena finished before abruptly ending the call. 

She sighed deeply before placing the phone back in her bag. She hauled her backpack over her shoulders and pulled herself to her feet. She took one last gander at the forest before trudging off. 

-

Selena arrived to her home, parking a small blue car in the driveway. She slowly made her way to the door, fishing a key out of her pocket. 

As she walked through the doorway and closed the door behind her, she noticed her father sitting in a recliner with several papers littered across a coffee table, along with a laptop.

She walked back past him without a second glance and made her way towards the kitchen. 

“You know, Selena, I didn’t appreciate what you said over the phone”, Selena’s father said. 

Selena snakily remarked “Well, there’s a lot about me that you don’t appreciate, so that’s nothing new”. 

With a rough sigh, the older man pulled himself up and entered the kitchen, where Selena kept herself busy by making herself a sandwich. 

“Selena…how long are you going to keep up this untamed anger against me?”

Selena paused for a moment before sparing her father a glare. “You know damn well why I’m angry at you. You tried to get me flown to Florida for a university I have NO interest in attending!”

Her father stated his defense. “It’s a good institution. I just want you to have the best start in life when you move out. And a good job as well. A real estate agent makes a lot of money”.

“So does a park ranger, which is what I want to be!”, Selena exclaimed, fully facing her father with clenched fists. “How many times have I told you!? I don’t want to be a real estate agent. I want to be a park ranger!”

“Selena, that job is very demanding and very dangerous. You could fall into a river, get caught in a bear trap, get mauled to death by wolves-“

“I’m aware of the risks of being a ranger, but I’ll do it anyway because it’s what I want to do and it makes me happy. I’d rather die doing something I love than doing something I hate. I wish you’d understand that, Matthew!”, Selena argued, turning back to grab her food and storming out of the kitchen. 

“Where do you think you’re going?! I’m not done here!”, Matthew exclaimed, watching his daughter climb up the stairs. 

“I’M DONE!”, Selena yelled back, slamming the door behind her with a loud thud. 

Matthew sighed deeply, hiding his head into his arms as he rested against the counter. 

-

Selena was still fuming about the events from yesterday, so she got an early head start the next morning and drove to school to avoid seeing her father. 

She only grabbed a cereal box and a carton of milk from the cafeteria. She made her way outside and sat on a bench, releasing a heavy sigh. She stared down at her breakfast, unable to get her mind off of the argument with her father. 

As Selena was about to start eating, she heard a familiar male voice call out “Selena!”

The teen glanced up, noticing a boy making his way over to her. Selena smiled lightly as she recognized the teenager. 

“Hey Austin”, replied Selena, watching as the boy sat next to her on the bench. The two shared a brief side hug, Austin quickly noticed the small breakfast in the girl’s hands. 

“That’s a pretty small breakfast. You feeling okay?”, Austin asked in concern. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just not that hungry right now”, answered Selena. 

“…You and your dad get into another fight?”

Selena fell silent, unable to give a response as she stared silently in the dark eyes of Austin. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, to me, it is. We’ve been together for a while and I’ve noticed…things. Whenever you’re angry, you barely eat anything. And considering the rocky relationship I know you have with him right now…I can assume that most of the anger is stemming from him”. 

Selena chuckled halfheartedly. “Austin…I’m not sure how much longer I can take being a senior. Ever since I entered the new year, my dad has been on my case about my career choices. I already know what I want to be, but he seems to think otherwise”. 

“You shouldn’t let him get to you. If he doesn’t approve of what you want to be, then don’t let him into your life”, urged the teen.

“I know, but it’s not that simple”, Selena sighed out. “He’s tried on multiple occasions to get me into universities around the country, but I decline each and every one of them. A week ago, he tried to get me into a school in Florida, but I turned them down”. 

“God…I don’t think I’ve known anyone who’s so damn…persistent”. 

Selena shook her head slightly. “That’s my dad for ya. He is a real estate agent, after all. He won’t give in so easily until a deal is made. But..you can only take so much before it starts getting to you. I haven’t eating properly lately and sometimes…I get these dizzy spells”. 

“Oh, Selena..”, Austin said, placing a hand over his partner’s hand. “I hate it when you do this to yourself”. 

“I know. I hate it, too, but I just can’t help it. My mind can’t focus on anything except what my dad and I argue about. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if he’s ashamed of me”. 

“He should be ashamed of himself. He has no idea what his actions are doing to you. But…tell ya what…after school, do you want to go to the forest? I heard that the nature walks are half off today”. 

Selena grinned brightly upon hearing this. “Really? Yeah, I would!”

“Great. I’ll see you in the parking lot. But…make sure you eat. I don’t want you fainting on me”, Austin suggested. 

Selena let out a breathy chuckle. “Of course”. 

“Well, I’d better get going. Got band practice today. Love you, Selly”, Austin said with affection in his tone.

Selena rolled her eyes at the nickname Austin gave her. “Love you too”. 

The couple shared a brief kiss before Austin reentered the school. Selena was left by herself again. She stared at her untouched breakfast. Despite the promise she made moments ago, her appetite was long gone. 

Once she noticed her lover was out of sight, Selena tossed her breakfast into a nearby trash can. She entered the school as the bell rang, signaling the start of a long day for Selena.

-

As the school day drew to a close, Selena and Austin joined a group in a nature walk in the same forest Selena visits every day. Selena silenced her phone, preferring to admire the beauty of the forest with no interruptions from her father. 

The nature walk lasted almost two hours. By the time Selena and Austin left the woods, the sun was already setting in the horizon. The couple said their goodbyes before heading home.

As Selena pulled up on the driveway, she took a glance at her phone. There were several missed calls from her father. She sighed deeply, dreading the possible argument that she knew would be coming. She left her car and approached the house. As she entered, she was greeted to a dark living room, the only source of light was coming from the kitchen.

She slowly entered the next room, noticing her father sitting at the dining table. Matthew noticed his daughter’s arrival and spoke in a monotone voice “Sit”. 

Selena rolled her eyes before seating herself across from her father.

The young woman began rubbing her eyes roughly, dark pulsing circles were starting to appear in her vision. 

Her father questioned roughly “Is there a reason why you didn’t answer your phone? Do you have any idea how late it is right now?”

“Dad, I’m home, for God’s sake”, Selena huffed out, glaring at her father with strained eyes. “Just let it go and let me get some rest”. 

“Where were you?”, her father demanded. 

“I was out with Austin in the woods. I lost track of time and I silenced my phone, but I made it home now, so get over it”. 

“Selena, we have a curfew and I expect you to follow it, but that’s not important right now. I got into contact with someone about your plan after you graduate”, her father revealed.

Selena perked her head upon hearing this, a look of fear was visible in her eyes. 

Matthew confessed to her “As soon as the senior year is over, you’re going with him to Wyoming”. 

“WHAT!?”, Selena exclaimed, pulling herself to her feet, stumbling slightly from the sudden bout of dizziness that consumed her head. 

“Now, Selena, I know this is unexpected, but he said that there’s a good university he can get you into and-“

Selena interrupted her father by slamming her hands against the table’s surface. “What the actual hell, DAD!? I can’t believe you pulled this shit on me again! I’ll just say that I’m not interested and not go!”

“You are NOT going to ruin this for me!”, Matthew spat, raising himself from his chair. “I am your father and I will decide what is best for you. I will not allow my daughter to throw herself into danger in the backwoods!”

“IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT YOU, DAD! YOU’RE ALREADY A REAL ESTATE AGENT! YOU’RE PRACTICALLY LIVING THE DREAM! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO DRAG ME INTO THIS!?”, Selena screamed at the top of her lungs. 

“Because it’s not enough for me! Being a park ranger isn’t good enough for you!”

“MAYBE I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!”

A deathly silence fell between the duo. Between short breaths, Selena felt her eyes beginning to water at the argument she just exchanged. Overwhelmed with stress and anger, the teen let out a distraught sob as she stormed out of the kitchen and threw herself out the front door, leaving her father to watch in disbelief. 

“Selena, wait!”, Matthew called out, chasing after his daughter. But by the time he reached the door, Selena had gotten back into her car and tore out of the driveway, nearly taking out a mailbox and a trash can in the process. 

With no other choice, Matthew pulled his phone out to contact the police.

-

Selena sobbed uncontrollably as she drove down the road, paying little attention to the rising speed that her car was picking up. In her watery vision, the black, blurry circles became more abundant, combined with fading white lines. The dizziness in her head was amplified, making it difficult for her to pay attention to the road. 

The teen nearly swerved off the lane, but managed to get herself position back in place.

Selena started to hyperventilate, grasping her chest with a hand as an uncomfortable, tightening knot in her chest began to reveal itself. No matter how many breaths she took to calm her racing heartbeat, the feeling in her torso got worse. 

As Selena became aware of her surroundings, she quickly noticed a red stop light approaching and stepped on the brakes. The car came to a screeching halt, jerking the teen forward slightly before settling down.

Selena sat back in her seat, staring at her hands. Though her vision was almost completely obscured by dark, pulsing shapes, she could barely make out her palms and fingers. 

She shook her head rapidly to alleviate herself of the dizziness that still plagued her, but it didn’t have any effect. A droning, high-pitched ringing noise started up in her ears, partially affecting her hearing as she could barely hear the honking horns behind her.

She looked back up at the street light, a faint green outline appeared in her vision.

Selena shakily grasped the wheel and stepped on the gas pedal. But just as she drove right into the middle of the intersection…she fainted in her seat.

Moments later, a black truck came barreling uncontrollably towards the intersection and struck Selena’s car, sending metal parts and glass flying everywhere in a chaotic wreckage. 

Help was called as Selena’s car caught fire.

-

When Matthew got word that his daughter was involved in a fatal accident, he hurried to the hospital she was rushed to.

Matthew wasted no time and ran through the hospital doors, coming a stop inside the lobby. He ran up to the counter, a receptionist sat behind a computer. She quickly glanced up as Matthew frantically asked her “Where’s Selena Wells? She was involved in a car crash!”

“I can look her up in the system. Are you related to her?”, the receptionist asked as she typed the name of the patient into the computer. 

“Yes, I’m her father, Matthew Wells. Just…please tell me she’s okay!”, begged the man. 

The receptionist found Selena’s name seconds later. “She’s in the intensive care unit right now. They’re not allowing visitors at the moment. But please, take a seat in the lobby and I’ll let a doctor know that you’re here”. 

Matthew sighed deeply as he agreed reluctantly to the request. “Okay”. 

The man tiredly dragged himself into one of the clinic chairs and waited for what seemed like an eternity to him. 

After several grueling minutes passed, a doctor appeared out of a hallway and called out “Matthew Wells!”

Matthew perked up and hurried over to the doctor, who led him into the hallway he came out of. As the two men walked down the corridor, Matthew asked anxiously “Doctor, is Selena okay? Is she alive?”

The doctor sighed deeply as he stared at the clipboard in his hands. “Matthew, it was a really bad accident. The driver who struck Selena was under the influence of alcohol and died the moment he took the impact of the airbags, but your daughter…isn’t faring so well”.

“…How bad is it?”, the father sadly wondered.

The doctor began listing down Selena’s injuries. “Several broken vertebrae, a fractured skull, 3rd degree burns all over the top portion of her body, and carbon monoxide poisoning from being trapped beneath her burning car. There’s quite a lot here. We’re…not sure how long she’ll last”. 

“W-What do you mean?”

The doctor replied “We’re doing everything we can for Selena, but her body systems are slowly shutting down, one by one. It’s not just the injuries that are affecting her. From the exams we took, she’s very malnourished and hypoglycemic. We’re not entirely sure what caused her sudden loss in appetite before the accident happened, but there’s a possibility it may have been caused from unpleasant forces causing emotional stress and affecting her eating habits”. 

Matthew stared at the tile floor in shock. He began wondering if he was the catalyst of his daughter’s accident. 

The doctor continued with his notes. “There’s also…been another development. We’ve estimated that in a week, Selena will be dead. We’ve given her the option of euthanasia…and she accepted”.

“WHAT!?”, the father exclaimed as he stepped in front of the doctor. “No! No! There is no way in hell you’re going to put my daughter to sleep! Just keep her on the IVs and treatments and she’ll be fine! I’ll pay for every bill that comes in! I’ll-!”

“Mr. Wells, your daughter was horribly disfigured in the accident. Even if she were to recover, 60% of her hearing and sight has been damaged beyond repair. The moment she was informed of her injuries, she gave us confirmation to put her to sleep. She is over the legal age to be considered an adult, so it’s her decision to die”.

Matthew found himself unable to give a response. He was hoping that this was all just a horrible nightmare, but the cold air numbing his skin showed him that he wasn’t sleeping. 

The doctor placed a hand on the father’s shoulder to give him comfort. “I’m so sorry, Wells. She’s out of the emergency room and resting in one of the ICU rooms. I’ll let you see her, but in the morning…we’ll be going through with the injection”. 

Matthew let out a shuddering sigh before replying “…Okay. Thank you, doctor”. 

The doctor led the distraught parent to one of the rooms. Upon pushing the door open, Matthew was greeted to a dimly-lit hospital room, the only source of light came from a neon lamp in the ceiling, the air inside was even colder than the air in the hallway. Resting in a hospital bed was Selena, her entire form was covered by a pale blue blanket. One of her arms stuck out from beneath the fabric, her burnt wrist hooked to an IV drip. 

Matthew could see the extend of the accident as he got closer. Selena’s left arm was completely covered in 3rd degree burns, pink muscular flesh and bloodied bones were exposed in a mess, her hand had its fingers burnt to their bony tips with her pinkie completely revealing its skeletal interior.

The doctor behind Matthew allowed the pair to be alone as he stepped outside.

Matthew was left in the dark room with his dying daughter. He stared bleakly at the heart monitor connected to Selena, showing that her heart rate was slowly dropping. 

The sorrowful father fell to his knees next to his flesh and blood, carefully placing his palm over her scorched hand. He couldn’t hold back soft sobs as tears welled up and fell down his face in steady streams.

“S-Selena…I…I’m so sorry. I…I k-k-killed you. I…I did this to you”.

Selena said nothing, her weak and ragged breathing beneath the blanket was barely audible. Matthew dropped his head, letting out heart-wrenching sobs. 

Despite the crippling pain that paralyzed her whole body, Selena weakly grasped her father’s palm.

-

Matthew left the hospital as visiting hours ended. The distressed father stood outside of the facility, leaning against a stone pillar. He had no interest in returning home. All he could think about was his daughter. He wanted to do something, anything that might give Selena a second lease on life, but he couldn’t think of anything. 

As Matthew was buried deep in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the hospital doors slide open. A man in a dark sweater stepped out, a pair of red sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He brushed aside some of his blond hair as he looked around, attempting to locate something. When he saw Selena’s father, he approached him. 

“Hey there. Are you Matthew Wells, by any chance?”, the man inquired. 

“Depends on who’s asking. I’m not in the mood right now, so make it quick”, somberly replied Matthew. 

“I’m Simon Keyes, head medical scientist of Dark Outlook Laboratories. I couldn’t help but overhear earlier that your daughter is dying. Is that right?”

The father sighed heavily as tears threatened to fall again. “…Yes. First thing in the morning, they’re going to put her to sleep. They can’t save her. I can’t do anything for her”. 

The scientist let out a short hum in acknowledgement. “Well, that’s very unfortunate. A real shame, but…what if I told you that I have a procedure that could save your daughter from her inevitable death?”

Matthew raised his head. “What do you mean?”, he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Well, I can’t save your daughter’s body, but I can save her consciousness. What I’m about to tell you may seem like something out of science fiction, but I’ve spent nearly two decades of hard work and research to make this dream of mine a dignified reality. Follow me”. 

Matthew was skeptical about the sincerity of the scientist, but part of him felt a spark of hope for saving his daughter with whatever the scientist wanted to show him, so he followed.

Simon led the father to an unmarked dark van, throwing the back doors open and climbing inside. Matthew entered the vehicle, taking in the sight of many scientific gadgets and machines. Right across the vehicle, a drawing board stood near the back of the driver seat. Attached to the board was a blueprint, a complex looking robot was drawn on the paper, many notes were written on certain parts of the android. Written on the bottom were the letters ‘S.C.Y.T.H.E’

“Scythe?”, Matthew questioned as he looked over the paper, his mind couldn’t begin to comprehend the complicated and strange scientific terms written on the notes. 

Simon happily explained the blueprint. “It’s an acronym. It stands for Securely Contained Yearlong Thermonuclear Embodier. This robot was built for one purpose. Instead of an AI, this robot is going to be powered by a human consciousness. Despite this scientific marvel, I have yet to find a volunteer. That’s where your daughter comes in. I’m willing to perform this procedure for free, in exchange for lending your daughter to our team to analyze the results after she’s been transferred”. 

Matthew was absolutely blown away by the revelation. But most of all, he had hope again. He could take in the closure of knowing that Selena’s consciousness has a chance of staying a little longer. 

“This is so much to take in. Will she be okay?”

“She’ll be looked over by me. You have nothing to worry about, Wells”, Simon said with reassurance. “All I ask is to keep this a secret from your daughter. I’ve had this project planned out for months now and this is the closest I’ve gotten to getting a test subject”. 

“A secret from her? I don’t know, Simon. Selena might not-“

“Hey…you want to save your child, right? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the both of you. Just imagine the legacy she’ll make when we reveal to the world what we’ve accomplished together. Take it or leave it”. 

Matthew pondered for minutes about this decision. Despite the guilt of keeping Selena in the dark about what will happen to her, he imagined the headlines, the fortune, and the fame that his daughter will bring. Eventually, Matthew came up with an answer. 

“Yes. I want this procedure done. That’s my final decision”. 

Simon grinned slightly upon hearing this. “You chose wisely, Wells. My team and I will take things from here. Resume your normal activities for now. I’ll give my contact number so I can update you on the procedure as it develops. Good to be in business with you”. 

-

In the late hours of the night, disguised as doctors and nurses, Simon and his team covertly entered the hospital and proceeded to sedate Selena to keep her unconscious. They carried her through the halls and towards the dark van.

The scientists drove the vehicle towards the depths of the wilderness, miles away from the nearest town. Within the woods near a grand lake, a white building stood tall amongst the trees. The van arrived to the entrance of the facility, the team wasted no time in wheeling Selena through the glass doors and inside the building.

As the sedatives began to wear off, Selena’s only eye opened slightly. With her mangled vision, she could only make out dark silhouettes in a white background. Her hearing couldn’t make out the muffled conversations taking place around her. The dizziness and nausea that still spun around in her head wouldn’t stop. She wanted it all to end. 

Suddenly, she felt herself come to a stop. A blinding, white light was casted onto her, forcing her to shut her eye from the rays. She felt a mask being brought over her scarred nose and mouth. With each weak, forced breath she took, she felt herself beginning to lose consciousness once again. 

The last thing she saw before she blacked out was a man in a pair of red sunglasses, surrounding by masked doctors and nurses. 

-

An entire week passed since Selena’s transfer to Dark Outlook Laboratories. 

Matthew waited anxiously for the update of his daughter’s fate. As the weekend came around, the long-awaited phone call arrived. With urgency, he answered the call, hearing Simon’s voice on the other line. The news of the procedure was music to the father’s ears. 

It was a complete success.

With proper precision and technique, the scientists were able to trace all of the electrical impulses that made up Selena’s subconscious and transfer them into the android suit built for her. Although the result of the transfer killed Selena, her consciousness was saved in the process. 

Simon invited the father to the lab to see his daughter in her new body. Matthew accepted with no hesitation. 

With directions given to him via text, Matthew drove through the isolated forests that hid the laboratory. 

He arrived at the facility, where Simon stood near the entrance waiting for him. 

Matthew followed the scientist into the building, the thrill of seeing his daughter again filled him with excitement and nervousness. 

“I can’t believe I’m going to see my daughter again! Simon, I just have to say this. Thank you so much for saving her!”, the father expressed happily. 

“It was my pleasure. Once we see her in action, we have a whole lot planned before we reveal her to the public. I’m sure once we explain this whole situation to Selena, she’ll understand the circumstances and come to embrace her new body”, explained Simon. 

The pair climbed down a flight of stairs before coming to a metal door. Simon knocked on the door with specifically timed knocks, which swung open moments later.

Within the room was a platform, suspended above a small chamber with a wall mirror attached to one side. A large group of scientists and interns were gathered near the bulletproof glass that separated them from the chamber, eager to get a look at the object inside the room. 

The crowd parted ways as Simon and Matthew approached the glass. Matthew’s mouth dropped slightly when he saw what was inside the chamber.

A stoic gray robot stood completely silent in the center of the room with a hunched over posture, giving the impression that it was currently turned off. The android had a gray and red chest-piece covering its torso, a black swirly symbol was imprinted in the center, symbolizing the facility’s logo. Various pieces of red armor covered its arms and feet, tubular cables ran from its head and its back, and a pair of oval-shaped visors served as a visionary function. 

“Whoa…is Selena…inside that robot?”, Matthew asked, looking over the machine.

“Well, not her physical body since it’s no longer functional, but we save the electrical impulses that make up who she is and how she acts. When we activate the robot, her consciousness will be released from its tightly-sealed container and take hold of all of the electrical nerve endings, giving her full control of her new body”, Simon explained. 

“Well…I’m ready to meet her again”.

“Then, let’s head inside the chamber, shall we? Let’s give it another minute. The team has to make a few more tinkers to ensure everything will run smoothly”, Simon replied. He led the father to the other side of the platform, climbing down some steps and approaching a metal door with a keycard slot next to it.

Simon reached into his coat and pulled out a card, swiping it through the slot and allowing access inside the chamber. 

The duo walked up to the android, who was still unresponsive. 

After a minute passed, Simon glanced at the glass behind him, one of the scientists gave him a thumbs up. He gave them a curt nod in response. 

The scientists above him worked rapidly on the control panel. Within seconds, they had activated the robot. 

A spark was heard from the robot. Matthew and Simon watched silently as it began to raise its head, slowly move its arms, and stagger slightly on its legs. It eventually gained a balance on its boots, a pair of red lights lit up in the robot’s oval-shaped visors. The android cowered slightly as its head glanced rapidly around itself. 

“W...What happened!? Where am I!? Who are you?!”, Selena’s electronic voice cried out from the cyborg. Simon quickly stepped in to calm her down.

“It’s alright, Selena. You have nothing to be afraid of”, the scientist calmly said. “My name’s Simon. You were on the brink of death, but my team and I successfully performed the first transfer of a human consciousness”. 

Selena slowly raised her hands and saw the cold, gray metallic digits and red armored plating around her hands. She asked in a cold, monotone voice.

“…What did you do to me…?”

“Just a simple transfer, th-that’s all. Take a look in the mirror”.

Selena craned her head to the wall mirror behind her. She didn’t see the human body she once had. Instead, she stared at the strange, surreal android body staring back at her. Her red eye lights shrunk rapidly in fear; her entire metal frame began to tremor with harsh clinks of her armor. 

Simon and Matthew became increasingly worried of the android’s behavior the more she stared at her reflection. 

The scientist nervously asked “S-Selena…? I know this is so much to take in all at once, but-“

“GET ME OUT OF HERE!!” screamed Selena as she gripped the sides of her head.

The distressed robot ran towards the door and began slamming her head against the metallic surface. Simon and Matthew stepped in to stop her self-harming, but Selena retaliated.

She swiped at her father, tearing through his shirt. She attempted to hit Simon, but the scientist swiftly dodged her swing. He quickly looked at the scientists above him and made a cutting gesture with his hand near his neck, signaling them to act fast. 

The team worked rapidly to shut the android off. 

Selena released distressed, staticky sobs as her attempts to escape her suit were futile. As she desperately tried to pull her suit off, she ran to different corners of the chamber and climbed up the walls to get out, but lost her grip and fell to the tile floor. 

Her entire frame suddenly became stoic. She hunched over in the same position as she was before. 

As the scientists above scrambled to figure out what went wrong, Matthew analyzed his torn shirt. Although there were three bloody cuts engraved into his chest, they weren’t life-threatening.

“That was not the reaction I was expecting. I should have tell her about this. This is exactly what I was afraid of!”, the father exclaimed as he glared at Simon.

Simon raised his hands as he defended himself. “That was an error on my part. I was just afraid that if she was told about this procedure, she would say no. But, I’m going to fix this. The medication she was prescribed with may have left her a bit hysterical, but she’ll recover from the effects. Afterwards, my team and I will offer consultation and therapy sessions to help her adjust to her new body”. 

Matthew sighed deeply, having no choice but to believe the scientist as he already saved his daughter from death. “If you say so, Simon. I need to go home and dress these cuts”. 

“That would be wise. You’re welcome to come back any time you want to catch up on Selena’s progress”, replied Simon. “This is just a small bump in the road. We’ll overcome it, I just know it”.

-

As the weeks came and went, Selena mostly stayed within the chamber. 

She would keep her back turned away from the mirror in the room. Whenever she caught a glimpse of herself, she turned away quickly, as if she was repulsed by what she saw. Simon’s team quickly noticed this, but they also noticed that Selena was expressing the first stage of what’s known as the five stages of grief. Denial. 

As the team examined her behavior throughout the first week, Selena frequently requested for hot meals and a place for her to sleep. But obviously, she couldn’t perform human needs anymore because she had no need to do them. But no matter how many times the team explained this to her, Selena denied it every time. 

Anger came in the second week. Selena would viciously attack any scientist who would come near her as they tried to console her or medicate her consciousness. She banged on the walls while letting out furious, electronic growls. She even tried to break the mirror in the chamber, but the tempered glass couldn’t be cracked. 

During that week, her father came to visit, but the moment Selena saw him, she screamed at him “YOU DID THIS TO ME, DAD! I HATE YOU! I’LL HATE YOU FOREVER!!”

Matthew felt his heart break hearing those words from his child. Simon explained that she hasn’t fully settled down yet and not to believe her, but the father was beginning to doubt that his daughter would ever recover from the aftermath of the procedure. 

Bargaining appeared in the third week. Selena requested to speak to Simon, which was granted, but only if Simon had several bodyguards with him. Selena pleaded with the man that if he returned her consciousness back to her original body, she would help him find another willing participant for his project. 

Simon objected for two reasons. The first reason was that her old body was no longer living, therefore the transfer would only result in her consciousness disappearing altogether. The second reason was that even if a body was available, a medical procedure to return a consciousness back to a human body didn’t exist.

Selena begged with all of her might, but Simon made his case clear and left the room, his guards held back the distraught android. 

By the fourth week, depression had overtaken Selena. 

She laid in a fetal position on the floor, her back turned away from the mirror. 

Matthew returned to the lab, but he brought Selena’s boyfriend, Austin, with him. 

Simon raised his head away from the chamber and noticed the father walking in with the teenage boy. “Ah, Matthew. Welcome back. And who’s this with you?”

“I’m Austin, Selena’s boyfriend. Selena missed almost four weeks of school, so I went to her house. Her dad told me everything! Where is she!? Is she okay?”, Austin asked urgently. 

Simon explained “She’s quite alright, son. She just had a major surgery and is currently trying to recover”. 

Austin peeked into the chamber and gasped when he saw the android lying on the floor. “Wait…is she INSIDE that robot!?”

“Well, not her actual body. Her consciousness is controlling the robot. In a way, she’s still alive. Mentally, just not physically anymore”. 

Austin quickly took note of the cyborg’s sadden state. 

“She looks so…depressed”. 

“She is. She’s on the fourth stage of grief…depression. She hasn’t done anything throughout these few days but lie on the floor”, Simon revealed. 

Austin was shattered by what had become of his partner and couldn’t stand not being with her. He looked to Simon and stated firmly ”I need to be there for her! Let me inside!”

“Austin, that’s a risky move. Selena tried attacking our personnel a few weeks earlier. I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt”, Simon rebutted. 

“I know she won’t attack me! I’ve been there for her since we were freshmen. I have to be there for her now! Just please, let me see her!”, Austin pleaded, tears threatening to spill. 

Simon considered this choice carefully. He took a quick gander at the robot and sighed.

“The second that Selena begins to express hostile behavior, I’m turning her off”.

Simon led Austin to the chamber door, using his card to allow the teen access inside.

Austin stepped into the chamber, walking over to Selena. He slowly knelt next to her. Selena’s red eye lights suddenly flashed on and noticed the familiar face in the chamber. 

“Selena…? It’s me, Austin”, the boy said in a soothing voice.

“A…Austin?”, Selena whispered.

“Yeah. Oh god…what did these scientists do to you?”, he asked, placing a hand over his robotized partner’s hand. 

Selena clenched her visors shut. “…I…I should have died in that accident. Austin...why am I still alive...?”, she whispered softly. 

Austin felt his heart ache as he heard Selena’s words. “Don’t say that. I promise you. Everything is going to be okay. I’ll help you get through this”. 

Selena stared silently at her partner, wondering if his words held the truth.

-

By the fifth week, the last stage of grief had come. Acceptance. 

Selena expressed promising signs of recovery. The scientists were impressed by her complete turnaround with her cooperative behavior and her willingness to follow orders. Simon was equally impressed, but also relieved that his project had finally reached its goal. 

With the progress she was making, Simon had even allowed the android access to the defensive weaponry attachments inside her arms. A machine gun attachment in her left hand and a flamethrower in her right hand. She was even given access to the flight attachments inside her boots and the thermal radars in her head to see hot-blooded objects out of sight. 

By the end of the sixth week, Simon planned to release Selena from her chamber after nearly a month of isolation and experimentation. 

Matthew was thrilled when he was informed of his daughter’s recovery progress. 

In the room, the staff and personnel were conversing quietly with excitement. As Matthew and Austin made their arrival, Simon appeared out of the crowd and approached the duo.

“Welcome back, you two. We’re so happy for Selena. She’s made so much progress in such a short amount of time. But most importantly, I’ll finally have my project off the ground once we see her in action”, Simon expressed.

“I’m just happy she’ll finally be out of that room”, Austin said.

“Well, let’s not delay any further. Time for the moment of truth”, Simon said before turning and walking towards the staircase. 

Everyone held their breath in anticipation as the scientist approached the metal door. With a short exhale, Simon slid his card across the card slot, hearing the door unlock with a short clunk. He stepped back as it slowly opened up. 

Selena stood in the doorway stoically for a moment before taking her first step out of the chamber. Simon gestured quietly towards the stairs. Selena stiffly marched up the steps with the scientist behind her. The moment the android reached the top step, the crowd let out awed gasps and murmurs. Simon appeared next to Selena with a wide grin.

He announced proudly “Ladies and gentlemen, this android….is the future in medical science. No longer will people have to worry about death from age, illnesses, or even cancer. SCYTHE will become the secondary option rather than accepting death…”

As Simon continued his speech, Selena spared a brief look towards the control panel that had the switches to turn her body on and off.

“…and after the presentation concludes, we’ll have a booth set up for those interested in the SCYTHE plan in the event that they’re close to death or wish to live forever. This project has been my ambition since college and now, it has successfully reached its goal and I will go down in history as the first scientist to successfully transfer a human consciousness and defy the nature of death. Selena...I must ask you...how do you feel?”

Selena quietly looked at the man. “Honestly...I feel nothing, but you will”.

“Wha-“

Suddenly, Selena grabbed Simon by his torso and hauled him over her shoulders without any trouble. The team gasped in shock as the android threw the scientist towards the control panel. Simon grunted in pain as his body crashed into the controls, breaking several levers and jamming buttons into place. 

Simon scrambled to turn the android off, but gasped when he realized the switches for Selena’s robotic body were no longer functional. 

Selena glared at the staff, who were backing away from her and towards the exit.

The android let out an ferocious electronic snarl as she raised her left hand and began firing her machine gun attachment at the crowd. Austin and Matthew ducked down to avoid the swarm of bullets. A chorus of fearful, pained screams followed.

Scientists and interns were filled with bullets, multiple bodies fell to the floor with bullet wounds bleeding and blood pools forming. Those who tried to escape were mowed down.

In the chaos, Simon stumbled away from the control panel and staggered towards the exit. Matthew saw the departing scientist and quickly turned to Austin. 

“Austin, follow me! Keep your head down!”

The father led the teen towards the doorway, Selena was too preoccupied with firing at the personnel to notice their disappearances.

Outside of the room, Simon ran towards an emergency button and pressed it.

A blaring alarm was followed by red emergency lights that covered the scientist in a bright red hue. He continued through the hallways of the lab. 

As Matthew and Austin ran through the hallway Simon went through, multiple security guards armed with AKs ran in the opposite direction and towards the room where Selena was housed in. 

The guards reached the end of the hallway and raised their guns as Selena stepped out of the room, splotches of blood covering her hands and parts of her body.

She noticed the guards standing several meters away. She began to approach them.

“Fire!”, one of the guards yelled as loud gunfire echoed throughout the hall. Bullets struck the outer shell of Selena’s body, but they were deflected off of the metallic surface. She never slowed down, despite the fray of bullets hitting her. 

Selena raised her right hand and sprayed a steady stream of fire towards the guards, igniting them on fire. The guards dropped their weapons and desperately rolled on the floor to kill the flames. Selena silently walked past them as their agonized screams slowly died down.

-

Outside of Dark Outlook Laboratories, Matthew and Austin burst through the doors and ran towards the parking lot. 

Matthew spotted a dark van speeding away from the lab, gasping when he saw Simon briefly stick his head out of the driver window before diving back inside and disappearing into the forest. 

The father was flabbergasted and enraged by the scientist’s actions.

“That fucking coward!”, he yelled in fury. 

Austin glanced behind him when he heard a shout of fear. A young intern scrambled out of the lab, but was struck with a bullet in the back of the head by Selena and fell to the ground.

The bloodied robot approached her father and boyfriend.

Matthew attempted to calm his daughter. “Selena, please! Stop this!“

Selena answered with a swift bullet from her hand. The bullet struck her father in the chest, causing him to howl in pain and crumble to the ground. Austin was horrified by what he had witnessed so far, but angered at the same time. 

He yelled at her. “Selena, what the hell!? YOU SHOT YOUR OWN FATHER!!”

Selena retorted with venom laced in her voice “I’ve told you what my father has been doing to me. I thought you would be happy that I finally rid my life of that man! Happy that I’m finally out of that…that…that prison!”

“Why would I be happy that you committed mass murder!? You had a second chance of living your life again, and this is how to repay all of the hard work and dedication of the scientists here!? You kill them!?”

“Austin, you don’t understand! I-“

Austin shook his head as he interrupted. “No! You don’t understand! What you’ve done today is a crime against humanity! All of those people in that lab are dead because of you! Innocent people who probably had families and friends! Just…just stay away from me”.

Selena gasped quietly. “Wha…but…Austin, I love you!”

“Stop. Just…stop. Do us both a favor and stay away from me. Please. And if you follow me…I will call the police”. 

With no other words, Austin ran out of the parking lot, leaving Selena behind with the laboratory burning to the ground. The android stared at nothing, her arms hanging limply near her stiff body. 

A faint groan caught her attention. 

Selena glanced to her father, who was miraculously still alive. He clenched his chest wound as he attempted to crawl away, but froze when he saw a pair of boots in front of him. He stared at the robot that held the consciousness of his once human daughter. 

The cyborg raised her hand and aimed the barrel at her father’s forehead. 

“I have you to thank for this curse of immortality. I have accepted who I am now, but I will not bow down to your desires...to any desires of authority. I am Scythe. A weapon of death, revenge, and hatred of higher power. I will never stop until I find the one who put me in limbo...and place him six feet underground. As for you, father…let me ask you something. Am I still not good enough for you?”

“...”

“Hm...I thought so. Even in the end...your selfishness precedes your morals”. 

A single gunshot was heard in the dark night, illuminated by the destructive flames engulfing the laboratory.


End file.
